In the past, there have been very few ways to determine the amount of film being used by a stretch wrapping machine. Once a machine is adjusted, there are many reasons that can cause the adjustments to change. When an owner of a stretch wrapping machine sets up the machine, they expect their film costs to stay the same. They expect the stability of their palletized loads to remain the same as well. In reality, machine wear or unauthorized adjustments made by personnel alters both aspects of the machine's functions. Typically, after a short while, the loads will appear to become less stable and the operators will adjust the machine to apply more film to the loads. In turn, this increases the company's film costs as well as increasing the amount of plastic waste in landfills.
In the past, the only way companies would find out about the excessive film costs is when the purchasing department noticed the increase in stretch film purchases. This increase is not, by itself, an indicator of a problem. If the company's productivity increases, the stretch film usage would be expected to increase.
It was possible to perform tests on the package and machines to determine if the machines were performing correctly. These tests would involve testing the containment force of the film (determining how tightly the film was “squeezing” the load) and removing the film from a wrapped pallet and measuring the weight of the film. However, these types of tests were sometimes only performed once or twice a year, if at all.
Thus, a need exists to better monitor and control the use of stretch film. The material usage tracking systems disclosed herein can perform the film weight test after every load is wrapped. The information about the consistency of the stretch wrapping process can be readily available to customers. The material usage tracking systems can be a good way to ensure sustainable packaging stability and costs. The material usage tracking systems also can allow companies to be environmentally conscious and reduce plastic waste that eventually reach landfills.